Lactose-Free Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken: 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks; ½ cup lactose-free plain yogurt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp chili powder
• Sauce: 3 tbsp LF butter; 1 large onion, diced; 4 garlic cloves; 1-inch ginger; 1 can crushed tomatoes; 1 cup LF whipping cream or half-and-half; 1 tsp sugar; garam masala, cumin, coriander to taste

Instructions

1. Marinate chicken in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices for at least 30 minutes (or overnight). Cook in a hot skillet or under the broiler until charred at the edges. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Sauté onion until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook 2 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes and spices. Simmer 10 minutes. Blend sauce until smooth with an immersion blender.
4. Return to heat. Add LF cream and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and simmer 5 minutes more.
5. Serve over basmati rice with naan or lactose-free raita.

Notes

Traditional butter chicken (murgh makhani) is already dairy-rich — butter, cream, and yogurt are all central to the dish. With LF substitutes, the result is genuinely identical. The LF yogurt marinade works identically to regular yogurt. For extra richness, finish with a tablespoon of LF butter stirred in off the heat.